University of New Mexico Bookstore Director Carrie Mitchell jokes that sometimes she thinks her state is a little behind the curve of textbook trends. When sales started to stagnate and decline for stores nationwide five or six years ago, as students flocked toward perceived better deals online, the UNM Bookstore remained steady.
Inventory feels like a four-letter word for many bookstores. After all, you only get so many opportunities a year to take inventory. It needs to get done to help ensure you order enough used books to serve your students and there never seems to be an easy way to do it.
But what if there were ways to make everything in your physical inventory process go more smoothly and with fewer problems? Thankfully with these tips in mind, it's easier than you might think to make the inventory count less stressful and time-consuming for you and your staff.
Since "A New Hope" premiered in 1977, the Star Wars franchise has been one of the most successful and beloved media franchises in the world. In fact, the unofficial holiday "Star Wars Day" is celebrated by fans on May 4 — a pun off of the phrase "May the Force be with you."
It gave University Stores at Kennesaw State University something to celebrate as well. The store took the concept and ran with it for the week of May 2-6, offering a sale for 25% off Star Wars merchandise, and using a Star Wars theme to spruce up its display windows and advertise its rental returns.
You hear rumblings about a new website or service advertising itself on campus as the latest, best and only student-oriented, free marketplace for selling books, apparel and other items directly to other students.
We’re proud of our state-of-the-art warehouse that lets us get the right books to our partner institutions, on time. Since everyone doesn’t have the chance to see it first-hand, we’re bringing it to you.
News about upcoming services to college bookstores. Fond farewells to longtime industry leaders. Stories from other collegiate retailers increasing rentals and on-time faculty adoptions in an increasingly competitive business. Monthly marketing plans to better promote your store.
We've published some great content in 2016 if we say so ourselves, and based on our viewership statistics, it seems you agree. In case you missed them the first time — or just want to read them all again — here's a list of our most viewed and shared store stories, Monthly Marketing Plans and other articles from 2016.
Preparedness is an essential trait of running a successful bookstore. The best way to make sure you’ll be ready from day one is to find a comprehensive training program that will enable your staff to provide a smoother customer experience, maximize your store’s organization and turn your employees from novices into experts. A direct correlation can be drawn between well-instructed training and store success.
An interesting new statistic is reassuring news for private higher ed institutions that saw their "inevitable downfall" being forecast a few months ago: Distance learners are on the rise at institutions nationally, and it's proving to be a major revenue stream.
The college retail industry has changed significantly in the last few years. With the rise in big-box online retailers and shifts in technology, everything from marketing and advertising to inventory management and the title procurement process has evolved over the past decade. But that doesn't mean everything is different.
Working at a college store requires being on the move. We understand that there are opportunities and events outside the bookstore, and our mobile POS is designed to free you from traditional retail boundaries, expanding your sales floor to wherever your customers are.
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